Monday, March 31, 2008

E Kimochi!

I just received an unexpected honor. Someone recommended San's Life With a View blog for the "E for Excellence" (a.k.a. the Big E[ah-AH]) award. Considering both the wonderful content of her blog and its massive readership, evidenced by the many dozens of comments she routinely gets on her posts, I would say that the award was well earned.

Well, she chose to pass the award on to me. I am both humbled and flattered. (Well, flattered at least. You just know this is going to go straight to my head!) I guess that means I'd better start working to make sure I earn this thing! After all, one can't justify having the Big E[ah-AH] on a cheese-whiz blog, can one?

Speaking of which, one of the conditions of the award (wouldn't you know it?) is that I'm supposed to pass it on to others whom I consider worthy. Apparently the rule is ten...rather like one of those Facebook apps that demand you invite 20 friends before you can do anything, only less annoying. Actually, I can easily think of ten blogs I would recommend for the award, if they haven't gotten it already, and I'll happily pass it on. I've already mentioned them in a recent post, but here we go:

Snabulus - Don Snabulus was the one who first introduced me to computers back in our school days and gave me the most assistance when I finally bought my first PC. I guess it's only appropriate that he was also the one who first introduced me to blogging...even before Blogger came to be. The Snabulus blog site has gone through many turns over the years, from its politically-charged (and often bile-dripping) early years to the colorful life commentary, philosophy, and travelogues of the present. Considering the high number of referrals I still get from his site, his readership is obviously far larger than his comment threads would seem to indicate. At any rate, the site is well worth a visit.

Pacific Islander - Pandabonium is a fellow American ex-pat (and musician, among other things) living in my area of Japan. However, he has much more and broader life experience than I have. He also has a lot more time to explore and photograph the Land of the Rising Sun than I do. His "Pacific Islander" site, named because of his experiences and work in Fiji, is both informative and a feast for the eyes. The occasional posts from his dog, Momo, are also a lot of fun!

Kuching Kayaking - Architect and kayaker extraordinaire "Unker" FH2o has become something of a fixture in the Malaysian cultural scene, particularly in the Kuching area. His kayaking tours, ranging from introductory courses to advanced, have come to see a lot of publicity in recent years and even get mention in Malaysian travel guides. Fond of talking about his experiences in both the wet n' wild world and the concrete n' glass one, FH2o also fleshes out his site with lots of wonderful photography and even more colorful commentary. Come and take a trip with Unker!

Nikkipolani - This blog, which I've come to visit fairly recently, mainly features the author's photography, which in turn mostly centers on her garden, her cats, and her cooking. A skilled photographer (and apparently a skilled chef, too!), Nikkipolani never fails to provide a visual treat with every post. Her beloved cat Nikki, apparently her blog's namesake, died tragically not long ago, but it has been since replaced with two cats that have been an absolute kick so far! "I kan has Big E?" [ah-AH]

Olivia's London Dispatches - How does one describe the unforgettable Olivia? British yet American? Classy yet naughty? Posh yet down-to-earth? Velvety polite yet steely sharp? Industrious yet hedonistic? Lobster thermidore yet spam? One-of-a-kind yet often a kindred spirit? At any rate, though she seems desperate to flee London and switch gears back to American mode (with undetermined future consequences for her blog), her site has always been a fascinating mixture of art, history, culture, life, and the odd bout of random silliness. A fascinating if enigmatic blog by a fascinating if enigmatic individual.

Jestablog - Another friend from my school days, Kami is a writer, artist, musician, mother, gardener, animal keeper, store worker, subconscious social hub, and all-around interesting person. Her original main blog site was connected with the Nanopubye project and wound up getting shut down all of a sudden, but her revamped "auxiliary-turned-main" Blogger site and the new site she's working on are both well worth a visit. Just don't mention lime jello or the Barbie Lady!

Chiron Training - Rory is Kami's husband, and the two couldn't be more different. He has worked as a policeman and a prison guard and, though still technically the latter, his main thing now is teaching martial arts fighting techniques, mainly to policemen. Like Kami, he is a skilled (and now published) writer, but, unlike her, he deals strictly with non-fiction. His blog is highly reflective and often philosophical prose dealing either with his life experiences or matters connected therein. His topics tend to be things you won't find in most blogs, i.e. violence as a necessary evil (or necessary tool), criminal minds, the proper mindset in a life-threatening situation, and so on, but his writing is very engaging. I wouldn't call this a site for the faint of heart, but if you don't mind a bit of blood now and then it's extremely fascinating.

Quasar 9 - Cambridge-based astronomer and philosopher Quasar 9 has a wonderful blog dealing primarily with astronomical phenomena and recent discoveries therein. Posts usually include links to informative articles and/or photography including recent images and press releases from NASA. Those with scientific curiosity will surely find the posts rewarding. Those without it will still probably enjoy the fantastic pictures.

Atomic Romance - Swinebread lets you know in no uncertain terms that his passion is comics. Not surprisingly, that's what he mainly writes about...and writes about well enough even for the comic non-enthusiast to enjoy. There are other things to be found, as well. I've found "Atomic Romance" to be full of surprises, and I hope you do, too.

1979 - Malaysian blogger and world traveler @LOW@ hasn't been posting as often as he used to, but his site has always been a treasure trove of information and pictures concerning other cultures, often coupled to colorful tales of first-hand experience with a healthy dose of personal reflection. If you are at all interested in learning about how people do things in other parts of the world, this site is a very good place to visit.

Oh, no...am I already at ten? I can think of at least another half dozen sites if not more that deserve to be in this list! Oh, well. I'll leave it at this for now. Meanwhile, I'll look at that Big E[ah-AH] in my sidebar and think, "Ii (E) kimochi!" (Japanese for "That feels good!")

Thanks for the bump Moody. I think most of the bile-dripping was in the comments in those days rather than the posts (which were still quite emotional but at least trying to get to a better place). Now I have more readers and more fun with the blog without the full-scope politics.

You were sounding positively fruity for a while there and I wondered if slapping yourself was really all that effective! I still haven't a clue about those bananas, and hope you've solved the problem for most viewers. Congrats on your own E award - WELL DESERVED!

About

I came to Japan in 1990 for what was supposed to be a two-year stint. Then, by some bizarre stroke of fate, I got a real life, so I'm still here. For a gaijin with an imagination and more than his share of sensitivity, these islands are a never-ending source of adventure.

About Me

I was born on a rainy day on the Oregon Coast (no surprises there) and through a rather convoluted sequence of events wound up in Japan. I'm a teacher by trade, moonlighting as a musician and composer. I also do quite a bit of writing on the side. I'm a dreamer, a thinker, a sayer, and a doer all wrapped in one deceptively mild-mannered package.